Job 32:6-16

6 Et Élihu, fils de Barakéel, Buzite, prit la parole, et dit: Je suis jeune et vous êtes des vieillards, aussi j'ai craint et je n'ai pas osé vous dire mon avis.
7 Je me disais: Les jours parleront, et le grand nombre des années fera connaître la sagesse.
8 Mais c'est l'esprit qui est dans les hommes, c'est le souffle du Tout-Puissant qui les rend intelligents.
9 Ce ne sont pas les aînés qui sont sages; ce ne sont pas les vieillards qui comprennent ce qui est juste.
10 C'est pourquoi je dis: Écoute-moi; je dirai mon avis, moi aussi.
11 Voici, j'ai attendu vos discours, j'ai écouté vos raisonnements, jusqu'à ce que vous eussiez bien examiné les discours de Job.
12 Je vous ai suivis attentivement, et voici, pas un de vous n'a convaincu Job, pas un n'a répondu à ses paroles.
13 Ne dites pas: Nous avons trouvé la sagesse! Dieu seul le mettra en fuite, et non un homme.
14 Il n'a pas dirigé ses discours contre moi, et je ne lui répondrai pas à votre manière.
15 Ils sont consternés! Ils ne répondent plus! On leur a ôté l'usage de la parole!
16 J'ai attendu: puisqu'ils ne parlent plus, qu'ils se tiennent là sans répondre,

Job 32:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 32

Job's three friends being silenced, and having no more to say in reply to him, Elihu, of whose descent some account is given, a bystander and hearer of the whole dispute between them, rises up as a moderator, and expresses some anger both against them and Job, Job 32:1-5; he makes an apology for engaging in this controversy, by reason of his youth, and they being advanced in years, Job 32:6,7; but since there is a spirit in man, that gives understanding to men of every age, and old men are not always wise, he desires they would hearken to him while he delivered his sentiments on the subject in debate, Job 32:8-10; and hopes to be heard patiently, since he had waited until they had said all they had to say, and had closely attended to it, and which fell short of convincing Job; and this he was obliged to say, lest they should be wise in their own conceit, and attribute that to men which belongs to God, Job 32:11-13; he proposes to take a new method with Job, different from theirs; and now they hearing all this from a young man, they were filled with amazement, and struck with silence; and after he had waited a while to observe whether they would say anything or not, he determined to take his turn, and show his opinion also, Job 32:14-17; and the rather because he was full of arguments, he was desirous to propose them, and was uneasy until he had brought them out; and which he was resolved to do with all impartiality and integrity, Job 32:18-22.

The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.